Pride of the District
by Aureolee
Summary: It's the year of the 57th Hunger Games. All Satin ever dreamed of was to win the Games and make her family and her district proud. But she never realized how high the stakes were, and how big the prize she had to pay would be.
1. Chapter 1

_Pride of the District – A Hunger Games fanfiction_

**Chapter 1.**

The sky is decorated with strips of orange as the sun is setting in District 1. I'm relieved to see the source of the searing heat disappear below the horizon as I make my way through the crowded streets of the district. It's early in the evening, just after dinner. That usually means that there are children playing on the streets, their parents not too far off, watching them. Something crunches underneath my shoe which makes me stop. I look down and see that I've stepped on some paper. It's not some ordinary paper: it's a poster. It's one of the reaping day posters that have been spread throughout the whole district. I've seen this poster so often in the past few days that I already know what it says without actually reading the words.

_57TH ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES._  
_REAPING TAKES PLACE THIS SATURDAY._  
_CENTRAL SQUARE, 11 AM._  
_- Attendance is mandatory for all citizens. -_

Reaping day is only two days away, and I want to be as ready as I can be. I look at the golden watch on my wrist and see that it's almost time. I continue walking and fasten my pace, not wanting to be late. Soon, the houses and the playing children are behind me. They are replaced by the factories and empty streets of one of the many industrial sites in the district. As soon as I've reached the glassworks factory, I turn around the corner. On the left side of the building is a rusty iron door, built into a brick wall. There's a small, plastic box on the wall next to the door that once contained a safety alarm system. I grab hold of the iron handle and push it down, but the door doesn't open right away. It takes a good yank or two before the door finally opens. I quickly sneak inside and close the door behind me. On the other side of the door is a small hallway, with nothing but gray, concrete walls and a metal staircase that descends into the abandoned parking garage that's very familiar to me by now.

"And there she is. Never early, never late. Always right on time." I hear a voice say as I walk down the stairs. The voice belongs to Blaze Argentum, the boy with the dark blonde, almost golden hair and dark green eyes, who happens to be a dear friend of mine. I smile at him sheepishly in response.

"You know me well." I tell him.

"I think I would be doing something wrong if I didn't, after eight years." Blaze replies.

There it is again. The strange feeling I get in my stomach when he starts talking like this. But I have no time to think about it now. I have better things to do.  
"Let's just start." I change the subject. "Reaping day is only two days away, and I want to be ready."

"Where's Salem?" He asks.

Usually, my brother Salem and I always train together. The moments when one of us shows up alone are very rare. Salem was supposed to come with me today, but he had been acting strange. He told me this morning he couldn't make it to training. When I asked him why, he only gave me the vague answer that he had things to do. I tell Blaze about this.  
Blaze nods and starts walking towards the training dummies that are positioned in the corner. I follow him. We pass another group of teenagers who are practicing one-on-one combat with swords. I hear that they are shouting at each other, but I can't make out the words over the sound of the swords clashing, echoing against the concrete walls.

"I don't know what it is exactly, but I feel as if something's going to be different this year."

Blaze gives me a serious look at first. Then his expression turns into a less serious one.

"Yes, maybe this year will be the year that the princess of District 1, Satin Charbrooke, will finally be reaped to compete in The Hunger Games." He announces. I walk up to the baskets with weapons and take out a few knives.

"And then what? Do you think you really have a chance of winning?" Blaze asks me.  
I walk back a few steps, until I'm a few feet away from one of the training dummies. Then I turn around to face it.

"More than most of the other tributes do." I say, as I throw a knife towards the training dummy. The blade of the knife slides into the dummy's chest with ease.

"You're good with knives, I have to admit that. But what if there are no knives in the arena? What will you do then? What else are you good at?"

"I can wield a sword if necessary. I've also been doing endurance trainings. And if I remember it right, you were there with me." I remind him, as another knife flies through the air, towards the dummy. This time the knife digs into the dummy's stomach.  
He nods, and then turns his head. I follow his gaze and see a figure coming our way. It's a girl of my age, with green eyes and brown hair that falls in a wavy tail over her shoulder. Her name is Amelia Harrington. I've met her here in the garage, not too long ago. We've been doing a lot of training together. She and I are both tiny. But where I am strong and hard to escape, she is quick and hard to catch. This keeps it interesting for both of us.

"Hello Amelia." I say.

"Hello Satin." She says. "Do you want to practice wrestling?"

I nod and I follow her to the wrestling mat. It's not really a mat, since it's not much more than a few layers of blankets. But it's all we could get for here. We are actually not supposed to be doing what all of us are doing here: Training and preparing for the Games. If the peacekeepers ever find out, I don't know what they are going to do with us. It won't be anything good. Fortunately, there are barely any peacekeepers around in this part of the city, at this time of day.

Amelia and I take our places on opposite sides of the mat. Blaze stands on the sideline, apparently playing the referee. I scowl at him.

"There will be no referees in the arena either."

"True." He replies. "But nonetheless, I wouldn't want any of you to hurt the other outside of the arena."

I sigh. Then I turn towards Amelia. I take a step towards her, and within half a second she's a step closer to me as well. Her reactions to my actions are swift. I take another step in her direction, and almost at the same she takes a step as well. I try to grab her shirt but before my hand reaches her, she's already holding my wrist. With my other hand, I try to grab her arm. As soon as I have hold of her arm, her other hand is locked around my other wrist. I'm standing so close to her now that I can feel her breath on my fingers. Then she does something I do not expect: she releases one hand, then tries to pull the other one back but I'm not giving in. While she is still trying to free her arms, I put my right foot behind her left leg and pull it towards me. She falls to the ground and I sit on top of her, pinning her arms and legs to the ground. She squirms and tries to get away, but I am stronger than her.

"And we have a winner!" Blaze announces.

I let go of Amelia and help her up. Her grip on me is now much stronger than it was in our battle, which makes me frown.

"Were you even trying?" I ask her.

She shrugs. "I didn't really feel like it today." Then she walks away from me.

I walk after her, leaving Blaze behind by the mat. "Didn't feel like it today? You can't say that once you're in the arena, you know."

Once we're out of hearing distance, Amelia speaks again.

"That doesn't matter." She says softly. "Because I'm not going to be in the arena."

"What?" I demand. "Why?"

"I don't want to."

Her words surprise me, and yet they don't. The first question that comes to mind is: 'Why wouldn't you want to be in the arena? We are District 1 - the Capitol favorite - we win most of the Games. It is a great opportunity to stand out.' But I keep it to myself. Soon after that I realize that – now I think about it – Amelia never has been much of a fighter. She told me that her parents had asked her to go train for the Games, but I never realized until now that that might not be what she really wants.  
And she's right. In our district, you don't have to go into the arena if you don't want to. There are always plenty of people who'll gladly volunteer for you. Because of the many volunteers, the reaping routine in our district has changed by now. Once a tribute has been reaped, he or she is asked whether they want to participate in the Games or not. If the answer is yes, they will participate. If the answer is no, the volunteers can sign in again for a so-called 'Second Round of Reaping', in which only the volunteers can be reaped. In the second round of reaping, there is no such thing as volunteering. So if you are reaped in the second round, you're going, whether you still want it or not.

"Okay." I reply to Amelia. I do not completely understand her, but I will be accepting. Not wanting to compete in the Games is an exception in our district. Winning the Games has given great opportunities to its Victors, especially in the districts closer to the Capitol. I remember Sparkle Lockheart, who became a model in the Capitol after winning the 49th Hunger Games. She's famous all over Panem now. Sparkle's story always inspires me to work and train harder; I aspire to be just like her one day.

After our short conversation, Amelia is going home. I thank her before she leaves, then I carry on training for another hour with Blaze.

An hour later, Blaze and I walk up the metal stairs again. When we're in the small corridor, Blaze walks past me quickly. He opens the door carefully and peeks outside.  
"The coast is clear." He says. Both of us walk out and make our way home.  
Even though the sun has set hours ago, it's still warm enough outside to walk around in shorts. As soon as we near the residential area of the district, Blaze and I both know we have to be careful for the peacekeepers. By now, the streets have all become empty and quiet except for the peacekeepers standing guard. Just as we expected, there are peacekeepers here too. Blaze quickly grabs my hand and squeezes it, and I give him a kiss on the cheek. This is an act we do more often: When the peacekeepers see that we're just another couple who sneaked away for a little while, they are often easy on us. This is not unusual in the district and the peacekeepers often don't see it as a complication.  
When we're a few streets away and out of sight of the peacekeepers, Blaze lets go of my hand. He walks all the way to my house with me today. When we're at the front door, he turns to me.

"Since Salem wasn't with us today, I just wanted to make sure you got home safely." He says.

"Thank you." I nod, then smile at him.

His eyes meet mine. For a second, he opens his mouth as if he's going to say something. Then he seems to change his mind and closes it again. He folds his hands behind his back.

"Goodnight, Satin." He says eventually.

"Goodnight, Blaze." I reply. Then he turns around and walks away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

When I walk into our living room that evening, it's not as quiet as usual. My parents are often up late, quietly watching television or reading books and magazines. But now my mother is excitingly talking on the phone. My father is standing next to her, trying to listen along. Salem is sitting on the couch in front of the television but he's not watching. Instead, he's looking at mother as well.

"Okay. That's good. Let me know when there's more news." My mother chirps into the telephone. Then she hangs up.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Oh! Welcome home darling!" My mother says. "Your aunt Sapphire just went into labor. She'll be giving birth somewhere tonight."

I immediately understand why she is so excited. Sapphire, my mother's younger sister, is pregnant and was due a few days ago already. We were all getting a little worried but the baby is finally coming now. It's extra exciting because it is Sapphire's first child. And for Salem and I it's our first cousin.

"Oh, that's great!" I reply. "Are we going there?"

"Not now." My mother answers. "But we will visit her tomorrow, when the baby is there."

"Where have you been?" My father asks.

"I was out training with Blaze." I tell him. Apparently the answer is satisfactory because he doesn't ask any more questions, so I walk up to my bedroom. My parents both know that Salem and I have been training for a while. But they are not particularly interested in anything that involves training without Salem.

Salem and I are twins. He was born fourteen minutes before me. He and I both don't care about it, but our parents – especially our father – do. They have the opinion that we have a family tradition to uphold. My father, Copper Charbrooke, won the 30th Hunger Games when he was 18 years old. He expects that one of us will participate in the Games as well, and that we do our best to win. Because Salem is the oldest, he's expected to be trying the hardest. He wants us to achieve as much as he did. Our family's jewellery store is now one of the biggest ones in the District, thanks to my father's name. Usually, my parents focus on Salem most. I remember how father had reprimanded Salem afterwards for not volunteering for the Games last year, but he never looked at me. The idea that maybe I want to participate in the Games hasn't occured to him that much. Since I'm seventeen now, my chances for participating in the Games are running out. This is why I'm thinking of volunteering this year. The idea of being reaped for the Games thrills me. Maybe I can finally show my family that I'm capable of great things as well…

I have no idea of what time it is when my mother wakes me. I look out the window, where the dawn sky still is a mixture of grey, pink and blue. I yawn and turn around in my bed.

"Satin, wake up." My mother says. "We're leaving for the hospital in forty minutes."

"Hospital?"

"Yes. Sapphire gave birth to a baby girl last night. Don't you want to see her?"

And then I remember. Aunt Sapphire was having a baby. This realization is what wakes me up.

"I do." I say, looking at my mother. She's still wearing her purple dressing gown and her light blonde hair is still up in a messy knot. I remember then that it's Friday today and that we have to be back at the store in time. Mother and I both have a lot of work to do today. Some of our main customers are stylists from the Capitol that work with the tributes. Since tomorrow is Reaping day, and the Games will start soon after that, there are a lot of orders that will be picked up today.

My mother looks at me and nods. "So be ready in forty minutes."

After my mother has left the room, I jump out of bed and look through my wardrobe for something to wear. Since I expect the weather today to be as warm as it was yesterday and the day before, I go for a wide blue skirt that ends just above my knees and a white shirt on top of it. Underneath I'll wear my favorite sneakers.

Forty minutes later, I'm fully dressed and I've finished breakfast. My father and Salem are already at work in the store, so it's just me and my mother that are headed for the hospital. There are trams in District 1, but they only ride on special occasions like reaping day. There are a few people that own bicycles but they are very rare, even in District 1, since it's a luxury that most people in Panem cannot afford. Fortunately, the hospital isn't very far away for us. It takes us about twenty minutes before we reach District 1's healthcare area. This area isn't very big: there's the hospital, a drugstore and a building for the few general practitioners that are in the district.

The hospital isn't very big, so it's not very hard for my mother and I to find the room where Sapphire is. The door is ajar, but my mother still knocks before she enters. I go in after her. Sapphire is lying on a bed with a little bundle in her arms. Apparently she is awake, because she looks up when we walk in.

She smiles when she sees my mother. "Hello Amethyst." Two seconds later, she sees me too. "And hello Satin! It's good to see you too."

She sounds tired. But then again, she's probably been up most of the night.

"Good morning young mother." My mother smiles back at her and walks up to her bed more quickly now.

"So this is her." Sapphire moves the bundle of blankets apart a little bit so the baby's face is revealed. The first thing that I notice are her bright green eyes, like emeralds. They look up to my mother and me in awe. Then I notice that there already a blonde curls on her hair. When the child is over the initial surprise, she smiles at us. I'm sold. Even though this baby is only a few hours old, she's already beautiful.

My mother strokes the baby's face carefully. "She's gorgeous. What's her name?"

"Glimmer."

I look at her again. I am drawn to her like a magpie to glitter. She is bright.

"That name suits her." I say.

My mother steps aside and then it's my turn. I stretch out my fingers towards the baby and she grabs my thumb with her small hand. She looks me in the eyes and I look back.

"What a beautiful baby." I tell Sapphire. "She's definitely going to go far once she gets older."

We chat with Sapphire and admire Glimmer for another ten minutes, and then my mother nudges my shoulder softly to get my attention. When I turn my head and look at her, she points to her watch.

"I'm very sorry, but we have to leave now." My mother tells Sapphire. "We have a lot of work to do at the store today."

"Oh, yes. It's reaping day tomorrow. I can imagine you are very busy today then."

"It's very hectic," my mother sighs, "There are so many orders for the week before the Games."

"I wish you could have stayed longer, but I understand you have to go." Sapphire eventually says.

"Yes. We'll see each other again."

"We will come visit you and Glimmer again soon." I add.

A minute later, my mother and I are on our way to the store. When we get there, there's already a number of people inside. My father and Salem are both talking to customers from behind the counter. My mother and I hurry towards the back of the store, where our work tables are. My father and Salem mostly deal with the customers, while my mother and I are mostly crafting jewellery in the back. We start working right away.

Ten minutes later, I hear a knock on the backdoor of our store. Salem and I both head for the backdoor because we think we know it is. When I open the door, I see that we were right about it. On the other side of the threshold is a tiny girl, about 13 years old, with short blonde hair and a sunburnt skin. Her name is Lux. She lives in District 2, where she works in the mines with her parents and her eight brothers and sisters. They dig out the gemstones and precious metals, clean and refine them and then deliver them to several jewelers in District 1. We are one of their biggest customers. Since Lux doesn't have much body strength, working in the mines is hard for her. So her parents sent her out with her brother Noah to deliver the materials. Salem and I greet Lux and Noah, and then we help to carry the load inside. In the meanwhile, we chat a little about the upcoming Games.

"So are you guys going to volunteer?" Lux asks in her light, chirpy voice.

Salem shrugs. "I don't know yet. Maybe I-"

"I am going to volunteer." I interrupt him. "Are you?" I aim the question at Noah, since I'm already guessing that Lux isn't going to volunteer.

Noah shakes his head. "I would, but my family needs me. I can't really leave them alone."

He's right. Noah is one of the oldest children from the family and he works the hardest. His family does need him. Volunteering for the Games has become very popular in District 2 as well, so they took over our reaping system. For some people this can be an opportunity, but for some people this can also be their rescue. People in District 2 are often poorer than the people in District 1, but they also bring forth excellent fighters. Especially the children of blacksmiths: they are often experienced with weapons already. Lux's family wasn't so fortunate to end up at the right part of the District: They work hard in the mines and barely get by. They don't even have time to train for the Games, so I can understand they're not as enthusiastic about it.

After all the materials are loaded out of their cart, Lux and Noah head right back.

"I'm guessing you guys are very busy too today." Salem says as they walk towards the backdoor again.

Lux sighs. It's a high-pitched sound that sounds like she either is out of breath or has asthma. In her case, it could be both. "It's crazy."

Noah notices this as well and protectively puts his hand on her back, then leads her outside.

"Good luck." Salem and I say in unison.

Noah replies with a quick "thank you" and then they disappear around the corner. Salem and I go back to our work again.

I am almost done with a bracelet when one of our main customers, Madeline, walks in. Madeline is a woman in her forties. She's from the Capitol, which explains her odd appearance. She has a tanned skin, dark brown eyes and jet black hair that falls just above her shoulders, and it's dyed bright pink on the ends. She probably has had cosmetic surgery, because I don't believe that her long lashes, that are the same bright pink on the ends, are real. She has three tiny stars tattooed just below the corner of her right eye and her eyelids are golden.

"Hello Copper," Madeline speaks in her Capitol accent, "I came to pick up my order."

"Hello Madeline, how are you doing?" My father asks her.

"I am doing well. It's just very busy in the Capitol this time of year, with the Games coming up."

"It's not much different here." My father smiles.

Then Madeline's eye falls on the bracelet I am making. It's a net of tiny golden chains and diamonds woven through in some places. I was just finishing the last things: adding the clasp and checking if it all stays in place. When I move the bracelet in the light, it shimmers on all sides.

"That looks beautiful dear," Madeline says, "Is it for sale?"

I look up from my work in slight surprise. Usually I'm not the one that people start talking to in the store.

"Yes, it's going to be for sale," I reply, "I have yet to determine the price, though."

"You can have it for free." I hear my dad say behind me. I glare at him. _Why can't he let me decide this myself?_

"Oh, really? But your daughter put so much effort into it."

"That's true, but you already have such a big order." My dad replies.

"No no, I cannot just accept that. I'll pay 10 percent of the order price for the bracelet, and the money is for your beautiful daughter."

"That-" My father starts, but then he is interrupted by Madeline again.

"And that's the deal."

I look up at Madeline in surprise. Barely anyone ever stands up to my dad. Madeline gives me a warm smile, and I smile right back at her. When my dad walks to the storage room to retrieve the remainder of Madeline's order, Madeline winks at me and says. "I see you work so hard so often. You deserve it, darling." Then she walks towards the counter, where my dad is packing several pieces of jewellery in a cardboard box. I recognize the necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings: My mother and I crafted most of them. When it all is packed, Madeline gives my father the money, then takes the box from him and leaves. I glance outside the window and see her walking towards a car. The car is black, except for the logo on the sides: the bronze eagle that represents the Capitol. I'm not the only one who's watching: I see people in the streets watching the car as it rides past them. It's not every day that a car drives through our district, let alone one from the Capitol.

A long day of hard work and chaos later, we head home. Mother, Salem and I wait on the streets as father locks the front door of the store. The four of us walk home in less than ten minutes. When we arrive home, mother immediately hurries to the kitchen to prepare us a decent meal. In the meanwhile, I watch the Capitol news on the television with father and Salem. The news is mostly related to the Games, since reaping day is tomorrow. We see the familiar chubby face of Amaryllis Redpath, who has been the Host of the Games for the past twelve years. Next to him is Plutarch Heavensbee, who has been the Head Gamemaker for two years now. They talk about the upcoming Games.

"So this is the 57th year of the Hunger Games. How have you been preparing for these Games, Plutarch?" Amaryllis asks in his ever nasal-sounding voice.

"The preparation for these games had already started before the previous games had ended. I've been walking around with several ideas for arenas for years, and now I finally have the opportunity to explore these ideas and turn them into a reality." Plutarch replies.

"Now, doesn't that sound interesting?" Amaryllis addresses the crowd. They enthusiastically clap in response. Then Amaryllis turns to Plutarch again: "I'm very curious to what you're going to make of the Games this year. Thank you, Plutarch."

As Plutarch gets up and leaves the stage, Amaryllis turns towards the camera. "And that's not the only exciting news I have for you, ladies and gentlemen. This news is less exciting for me than it is for you but as most of you have heard already, I will be watching these Games from the other side of the camera, for I no longer will be your host after tonight."

The crowd replies with a sad "ohh," then they turn quiet again as Amaryllis continues talking. "After twelve years, I decided it was time for a change." Amaryllis says. I can't help but smirk a little at these words. Amaryllis' lazy style of hosting has never really appealed to me, so I'm glad to see him go.

"So, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to meet your new host?" Amaryllis asks the crowd. It's silent for half a second before he continues: "Then give me a big applause for Caesar Flickerman!"

A young man walks up to the stage. He is lean and slightly taller than Amaryllis. His purple hair is so long that it nearly falls in his face. He smiles and waves at the crowd as he walks across the stage, and the crowd claps and cheers for him.

"Well, isn't he a handsome young man." My mother's voice sounds from the kitchen.

"Welcome Caesar!" Amaryllis says as Caesar is making himself comfortable in the large blue chairs. "How are you feeling?"

"Good!" Caesar answers with a lot of enthusiasm. "I am very excited."

"So now it's all starting for you: your very first year as a host of the Games! What are looking forward to the most?"

Caesar thinks about this for a second. "That's a hard thing to choose. There are so many things that I'm looking forward to. But what I'm looking forward to the most are the stories of all the tributes. They are different each year and they really bring the Games to life."

"That is indeed wonderful." Amaryllis replies. There's something in the tone of his voice that makes me wonder if he really means it. And then Amaryllis does something we rarely see him do: He stands up from his chair and walks a few steps forward. He gestures Caesar to come with him.

Amaryllis addresses the crowd again. "Dear people of Panem. I had a splendid twelve years with you, and it was a pleasure hosting the Games. But now I will pass on this wonderful job to the gentleman next to me." Then he turns to Caesar. "Take care of these people, Caesar. And they will take care of you."

Amaryllis hands Caesar the microphone, and then he bows for the audience, which is clapping insanely. Caesar pats Amaryllis on the back, then he puts the microphone to his mouth and ends the show in the same natural way he walked up the stage earlier. "Ladies and gentlemen, another big applause for Amaryllis Redpath! My name is Caesar Flickerman and I'll be seeing you all tomorrow. Have a good evening."

The camera zooms out and we see the thousands of people in the audience, still clapping and cheering. Then the television screen fades to black.

"Dinner is ready!" My mother calls as she carries the pans with the food in them to the dinner table. The four of us gather around the table and finish our dinner quickly: we are all hungry after a hard day of work.

After dinner there's not enough time for me to go out and train anymore, so instead I go out for a round of jogging with Salem.

"So, are you excited for tomorrow?" I ask him.

"Tons." Salem replies flatly.

"You don't sound excited."

Salem doesn't answer. After a moment of silence, I look at him. He doesn't look like his usual happy self.

"What's wrong?"

Salem sighs and slows pace. "Satin... If I tell you a secret, can you promise me to keep it to yourself?"

"Of course!"

He eyes me reluctantly and doesn't reply right away.

"I am your sister," I tell him, "You can trust me."

"The reason that I'm not so excited about the games is because…" He starts.

I look at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"Because… since not too long ago, there's someone into my life that I really care about. And if one of us is reaped tomorrow, we might lose one another. And I'm not excited about that."

"Salem that's great!" I exclaim. "Well, the special someone is great. Not if one you gets reaped. I can imagine you're not excited about that." I add quickly.

Salem nods. He seems happy that I understand, but he's still tensed.

"Who is it?" I ask. "Is it Rubena? I know she has had a crush on you since elementary school."

Salem shakes his head in response.

"It's not a girl, Satin. It's a boy."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

Salem's words make me stop in my tracks. He notices this immediately and stops as well. I can't help but stare at him for several seconds. He still looks the same as ever: A nearly exact copy of me, except for the fact that he's taller and his hair is shorter. We have the same wavy blonde hair, and the same dark blue eyes that are relatively uncommon in our district. Yet, I see him differently. There are a lot of pretty boys in District 1. The kind of pretty boys that would like to have a pretty girl by their side to show off at every social occasion. I thought that Salem would be one of those boys once he finds a girlfriend, and that I would be one of those girls when I get a boyfriend. But Salem isn't like that at all. Being his sister, I feel like I should've known.

"You're judging me, aren't you?" He eventually says.

"It's just… I didn't expect this." I tell him.

"I just hope I made the right choice trusting you, then."

My first response to that is a sigh. His words hurt.

"You are my brother. Why wouldn't you trust me?"

Salem's voice turns to a whisper. "Because my position is a scary one to be in, considering the time and place that we live in."

I nod, because I understand. There is no law that forbids homosexuality in Panem, but it is frowned upon. Not only by the Capitol, but in all the districts as well. Times are hard and people would rather see a man and a woman bringing forth children to ensure the future.

"So what do you want me to do with this?" I ask him.

"Nothing." He replies almost immediately. "I just needed someone to know."

"Can I know who it is?"

"Not yet."

"Okay."

It seems the conversation ended, so I start walking again. Salem and I make our way home in silence.  
That night, I lie awake thinking for a couple of hours before sleep catches me. I think of my old classmates in high school and wonder how many of them will be volunteering tomorrow. I still haven't completely made up my mind about volunteering myself. But then I think: Why not? The chances that I get picked are small but if I do get picked, there is so much to gain. I can always try…

The next morning I'm woken up by the small beam of sunlight that falls on my face. Remembering what day it is, I shoot up straight in my bed. _What time is it?_ After a quick glance at the clock, I come to the conclusion that it's 9:30. We have to be at the Central Square at 11:00. I'm just getting out of my bed when my mother walks into the room.

"Oh, you're already awake." She says. "Go and get ready, we're leaving in a little more than an hour. You can use some of my make-up if you want."

Since it's reaping day, I'm taking a little more care of my appearance than usual. I take a quick shower first, then I go back to my room to find something to wear. I browse through my dresses, until I find a short, purple summer dress that's perfect for this type of weather. I head back to the bathroom and glance at myself in the mirror. I put my hair up just to see how it looks, but then I decide to leave it down. I open my mother's make-up box and look at the contents. First I put some powder on my face, then I make sure my eyes stand out by putting mascara on my lashes. Last, I put on a light pink lipstick. Then I walk back into my room to put on my silver sandals and head downstairs for breakfast.

Mother smiles at me when she sees me. "You look beautiful."

I smile back at her. "Thank you."

Then she walks up to me and takes something out of her pocket. "This would finish it, though." She says as she puts a silver necklace around my neck. The pendant is a small, heart-shaped diamond.

I look at the shimmering pendant for a second, then I look up to my mother again.

"This is beautiful," I say, "What is-"

"It's a family gift." My mother says. "It used to be your grandma's. She gave it to me when I turned seventeen. Since you've turned seventeen this year, I thought it would be your turn to have it."

"Thank you." I say again.

After breakfast, the four of us head towards the Central Square. There are trams riding today, but because they are so crowded we decided to go by foot. We don't live that far away from the Square anyway, it's only a thirty minute walk.

It's only half past ten when we arrive at the Square, but the place is already packed with people. This is not unusual in our district: everyone here is very eager and enthusiastic about the Games. Salem signs in and walks up to the left side of the square, which is the boys' side. Then it's my turn to sign in.

"Next."

I step forward and hold out my hand. The woman behind the counter grabs my wrist and pricks my finger with a needle, then presses my bloody fingertip onto the paper. She pulls out an electronic device with which she scans my fingertip. My name appears on the screen of the device.

"Next."

I walk over to the right side of the square, where all the girls are. The youngest ones are in the front, the oldest in the back. So I stand in the first-to-last section, in between all the seventeen year olds. I recognize the wavy brown hair of Amelia in the section of the sixteen year olds, before me. To kill the time, I study the crowd. There are a lot of familiar faces: Friends, classmates, customers. But there are a lot of unfamiliar faces as well. At the boys' side, my eyes lock with the familiar dark green eyes of Blaze. He smiles at me and I smile back.

"Welcome, welcome." My attention is pulled to the stage as the voice of Brynn Ecclestar echoes over the square. I cringe at the sight of her. Her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes are dyed white, which looks really strange with her tanned skin and purple lipstick. It looks even stranger with the tight red dress that she's wearing.

"It's that special day of the year again." Brynn announces. "Today, we shall select one brave young man and woman to participate in the 57th annual Hunger Games. But before we start, there's a special film, brought to you by the Capitol."

Brynn walks to the side of the stage as the screen behind her lights up, and it shows the familiar footage that we get to see each year. The footage of the Dark Days and the civil war that followed, that is all familiar to me now. I want to roll my eyes, but then I think better of it. The film isn't long, only a few minutes. When it ends, Brynn walks towards the microphone again.

"Wasn't that inspiring?" Brynn asks the crowd. Several cheers sound from the audience.

"So now the time has come to select our tributes for the 57th Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first."

Brynn walks up to the bowl on the right side of the stage. The bowl is so full that the papers almost fall out. Brynn digs her hand into the bowl, which sends several of the papers fluttering towards the floor. She comes up with one paper in her hand, then walks towards the microphone. She unfolds the paper and reads out the name on it.

"Amelia Harrington."

Almost immediately, Amelia turns around and her eyes find me. There's a silent plead in her eyes, but I decide to ignore it for now. She sighs, then walks up the stage and takes her place next to Brynn, who smiles at her.

"And now it's the men's turn." Brynn walks up to the other bowl, which is placed on the left side of the stage. The bowl is just as full as the other one, and again a lot of the papers fall out as she digs her hand into it. With one paper in her hand, she walks back to the microphone.

"Zircon Lovett."

The name rings a bell and surprises me at the same time. The Lovett family is known all throughout the Capitol, District 1 and District 2 for their perfumes. They have released four different fragrances in this year alone. I remember the commercials on the television for their newest fragrance: "Passion" by Lovett.  
But what I never knew is that Mrs. And Ms. Lovett had a son.

A tall boy with broad shoulders walks up to the stage. His hair is copper-colored, which matches the many freckles on his face and arms. His bright green eyes stand out compared to his slightly tanned skin. He smiles and waves at the crowd as he walks up the stage. _Already showing off,_ I think.

After Brynn welcomes Zircon to the stage, she turns to Amelia. "So, Amelia was your name, right?"

Amelia nods in response.

"Do you want to participate in the Hunger Games?"

Amelia shakes her head and the female side of the crowd cheers. This means there's another chance for them to be reaped. Then Brynn turns to Zircon.

"Zircon, do you want to participate in the Hunger Games."

"Yes." Zircon's answer sounds determined.

"So there will only be a female volunteer this year." Brynn says. I see a few disappointed faces in the boys' section. Now the so-called Second Round of Reaping will start for the girls. It's a phenomenon that's known only in District 1 and 2 for as far as I know. I've gotten the impression that they aren't so enthusiastic about the Games in the other districts, which is a pity. The Games are a beautiful and honorful event that brings the people of Panem together. I've always wondered why not everyone sees it that way.

"All the volunteers please line up in front of the sign in counter." Brynn instructs us, and we do as she says. I sneak through the crowd, making my way to the counter quickly. I have to get in line, but I don't have to wait long.

"Next."

I step forward. The lady behind the counter eyes me curiously, and then her face turns cold again.

"Name?"

"Satin Charbrooke."

The lady scans the list for my name. When she finds it, she writes my name on a paper slip and puts in the glass bowl that's on the counter.

"Okay. Next."

I walk back to my place in the section of the seventeen year olds. A few times, I look over my shoulder to see how far they are with signing in. Every now and then, I glance at the giant clock that hangs on the stone wall of the City Hall. All together it takes fifteen minutes before all the volunteers are signed in. The glass bowl that stood on the sign in counter is now placed on the stage.

Brynn looks at the bowl, which is almost full.

"So many volunteers!" She says, "Let's pick one, shall we?"

After several cheers, the crowd turns silent. We are all tensed, waiting for Brynn to read out a name. At least eighty percent of the people around me are hoping for their name to be called, including me this year. I hold my breath as Brynn takes a paper slip from the bowl, walks up to the microphone and unfolds it. Brynn exhales audibly before she reads out the name.

"Satin Charbrooke."

For a second I look around, waiting for someone in the crowd to move. Then I realized that it was my name she called. _My name!_ I can barely contain the smile on my face as I make my way through the crowd and walk towards the stage. Brynn gives me a hand to help me climb the stairs. I stand next to her, scanning the crowd from up here.

"So here they are, the tributes from District 1: Zircon Lovett and Satin Charbrooke." The crowd cheers and Brynn takes a step back so Zircon and I can shake hands. He grabs my hand tightly and shakes it. He doesn't speak, but eyes me mockingly. I grab his hand more firmly and shake it. 'Do not overlook me' is what I'm trying to say. I hope he gets the message. I let go of his hand and wave at the crowd. Most of them are still cheering, but some of them are silently glaring at us. I decide to ignore it.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor." Brynn says.

A peacekeeper walks up to me and Zircon and leads us to the City Hall, behind the stage. We are brought to two different rooms, where we're told to wait for our family or friends. Those who want are able to visit the tributes before they travel to the Capitol. I don't have to wait long for the first guest to arrive: It's Amelia.

"You have three minutes." The peacekeeper says.

As soon as Amelia's walked through the door she gives me a long, tight hug.

"Thank you for going in my place." Amelia says eventually. Then she lets me go.

"I didn't volunteer because you were picked," I tell her, "But I guess you're welcome?" I shrug.

"So, aren't you nervous?"

"Not yet." I grin at her. "But my guess is that that will change after I've seen my competition."

"Well, I just hope to see you soon." Amelia says as the peacekeeper opens the door. "Good luck, Satin!" She adds quickly. Then she leaves the room.

The next people to visit me are my parents and Salem. My mother immediately hugs me and keeps saying how happy she is for me. I want to take off the necklace and give it back to her, but she stops me.

"No no, take it with you into the arena as your token."

I nod and put the necklace back on.

"So finally one of our children is chosen," My father speaks. When he finishes he looks at Salem, then he looks back at me. "Congratulations Satin, I hope you're going to make us proud."

"I will." I tell him. Then I turn to Salem. He is the only one who hasn't said anything so far. His eyes meet mine and at first we do nothing. Then he smiles and gives me a short hug.

"Good luck, little sis." He whispers in my ear. Behind him, the door opens. The same peacekeeper tells us our time is up.

"Thank you." I say, as the three of them are led outside by the peacekeeper.

After they leave I am alone in the room for several minutes. I'm guessing that there are no more visitors for me now, which disappoints me a little. I look around the room. There's only one window here. I walk up to it and wipe away the dust. Through the glass I can see a grass field behind the City Hall that I never knew existed. The place looks like there hasn't been anyone in ages: the grass is tall and is overgrown with different kinds of plants. It fascinates me: how wonderful would it be to know about a place where nobody goes…

The sound of the door opening interrupts me. I turn around to see someone walk into the room. It's Blaze. When he sees me, a smile appears on his face immediately. I smile back at him.

"Hey" I say.

"Hey" He replies.

We stand there for a few seconds, just looking at each other. Then Blaze speaks up.

"Okay, I don't want to waste our time now."

I nod, waiting for him to continue.

He laughs. "I don't even have that much to say actually. I just wanted to see you before you left."

"Well, I'm glad you did." I tell him.

"Good luck in the Games. I hope you'll make it out alive." There's a slight frown on his face, then it disappears. "I'm being silly. You've trained so hard for this; I have no other option than to believe in you." He takes a step closer and caresses my cheek with the tips of his fingers. "You got this, Satin. Just don't let yourself be overshadowed by the other tributes. You are a princess, but in a good way. I just wanted-"

He stops in the middle of his sentence as the peacekeeper loudly opens the door.

"Time's up."

"I just wanted you to know. Good luck, Satin!" Blaze says before the peacekeeper shuts the door behind them and I'm alone in the room again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

Less than a minute later, the peacekeeper opens the door again.

"It's time to go." He says.

I get up and follow him out. In the hallway I see Zircon, who is being led through the hallway by a peacekeeper as well. The four of us take the side exit of the City Hall. In just a few minutes, we arrive at the train station, where the train is waiting for us already. When we walk up the platform I hear an applause coming from the right. I turn my head to see that the road is blocked by the audience standing there. In the front, I spot the familiar faces of Blaze, Amelia and Salem. I smile at them and blow them a kiss. Zircon waves at the crowd as well. Then we notice Brynn, who stands a few feet ahead, next to the train door. She gestures for us to board the train. I get on the train first, followed by Zircon and Brynn. Once inside, Brynn leads us past several different rooms before we arrive in what seems to be the main dining room.

"Since we'll arrive at the Capitol in an hour, you'll stay in this room only. The trains in all the districts are all the same, there are bedrooms and wardrobes in this train as well for the tributes that have to travel longer. Your travel isn't as long, so you won't be needing them." Brynn tells us. Then the door on the other side of the room opens and two people walk in: a woman and a man.

"Let me introduce to your mentors, whom you've probably seen or heard of before: Auria Lambent and Parcival Ampleston."

I recognize both of them. Auria won the Games only two years ago. She has green eyes and blonde hair in which she had gold streaks implanted after her victory. I remember how skinny and tiny she used to look during her time in the arena. But she has changed a lot since that time: she is no longer that skinny, little girl from the outskirts of District 1. She's turned into a real lady. Parcival looks roughly the same as he did when he won the 51st Games, with his green eyes and dark blonde hair. The only thing that's different is the stubble on his chin and the hints of lines around his eyes. The year in which he won was a strange one, since it was the year after the second quarter quell. Maybe that's why he hasn't changed so much. Or maybe he has, but he just doesn't show it.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Auria says, and Parcival nods in agreement.

Brynn gestures to the four of us to sit down at the large dinner table. Zircon sits down on one of the wooden chairs and I follow his example. Auria, Parcival and Brynn join us.

"So what's going to be your angle?" Zircon asks them right away.

"Well, look at you," Auria replies surprised, "Asking the questions for us."

"Yes. Because I'm the one going into the arena, not you."

"Take it down a notch, fellow." Parcival adds. "We're here to help you win this thing, remember?"

Zircon nods, but doesn't say anything this time.

"So about that angle," Auria says, "You're a handsome and strong young man. Your parents have made quite a name for themselves in the Capitol. We should use this to your advantage."

"I bet someone like you is likely to get a lot of sponsors." Parcival adds.

"However," Auria turns to me, "I'm not sure what to do with you. Your parents are jewelers, right?"

"Yes. Some of the Capitol citizens buy their work, too."

"Oh, really?" Parcival asks.

"There's this woman called Madeline. She's told me she works with the tributes' stylists."

"Interesting." Auria speaks again. "I guess I could see you as a little princess. I think that would work."

My eyes widen. "That's what my friend Blaze always calls me."

"Really?"

"Yes. He calls me the princess of District 1. I don't feel like I-"

"So I'm not the only one who seems to think that." Auria interrupts me. "Fantastic. So it's Satin Charbrooke, the princess of District 1. What do you think, Parcival?"

Parcival nods in response. "And Zircon Lovett, her prince charming, then?"

"Not her prince." Zircon replies quickly, emphasizing the word 'her'.

"I see." Parcival nods. He looks at Zircon and I think I see some kind of mutual understanding form between them.

"Okay. Before we continue, I was wondering if you two have been training before."

I nod, and in the corner of my eye I see Zircon nod too.

"Okay, that's fortunate. What kind of weapons are you good with?"

"Swords." Zircon answers. "I mostly practiced one-on-one combat."

"Knives. Mostly throwing knives." I say.

"So we have two fighters again. That's brilliant." Parcival says with a smirk on his face.

Auria has the same smirk on his face as she looks at Parcival. "Brilliant indeed."

"Oh, oh! The District 2 reaping is airing!" Brynn suddenly says, as she rushes towards the television. The four of us follow her. On the television screen we see the crowded square of District 2. I watch as the District 2 escort walks up to the right side of the stage to pick a female tribute. She walks back to the microphone and calls out the name on the paper slip:

"Lux Montgomerson."

_Oh no, _I think. I watch as the tiny blonde girl makes her way to the stage. All eyes are on her, and I can tell by the way she's trembling that it's making her nervous. I scan the boys' crowd to see if I can gauge Noah's reaction, but I can't find him.

"What a frail little thing." Brynn comments.

Then the escort walks up to the left side of the stage, picks a paper slip from the bowl and walks back to call out a boys' name.

"Magnus Fairbain"

A dark-haired boy, just as tall and broad as Zircon, walks up to the stage. When he turns around I can see he has dark eyes and a determined, yet somewhat angry look on his face.

I see that District 2 has the same reaping protocol as we do: The escort asks both tributes if they want to participate in the hunger games. Lux's answer is an obvious no, with tears included. Magnus's answer is just a shrug. Then we see at least half of the girls of the girls rush towards the counter to sign in for the second round of reaping.

In the meanwhile, the channel switches to a commercial break. Most of the commercials are about the Games: The tribute parade will be broadcasted live tonight and betting will start tomorrow. After five minutes, the screen is back to the square of District 2, where the escort already holds a paper slip with the name of a female tribute on it.

"Elza Ballantynn."

A girl with long, brown hair walks up to the stage. She has bright blue eyes with which she first looks at Magnus, then at the escort, and then at the crowd. Where Magnus's facial expression is grumpy, hers is determined. She stands next to the escort, waving at the crowd with a small smile on her face.

"That girl is gorgeous." Parcival says. "Could get far in the Games because she will probably get a lot of sponsors."

I take another look at her, and I see that Parcival's right. Elza is indeed gorgeous with her ocean eyes, straight nose and full lips. And it's not just her face: her whole body seems to be in proportion. She's skinny, like me. But she's definitely curvier.

"That's going to be one tough competition for you, little princess." Auria says.

"But I think this guy here," Parcival points at Zircon with his thumb, "Will also get a lot of sponsors because of his family's name."

"Yes, yes. I think so too." Auria agrees. "With that, and his strength and skills, he might have a chance of winning this."

There's a smile on both their faces. "So we have our work cut out for us." Parcival says.

I don't like where this is going because this conversation makes me feel like they're mainly going to focus on Zircon.

"By the way, that new fragrance of yours, "Passion", is really nice. I bought it the other day. Are the sales going well?" Auria asks Zircon.

"They're doing better than expected, so that's fantastic." Zircon answers with a smile.

"So what's your work going to be exactly?" I ask them carefully.

"We are going to do everything we can to make sure District 1 has a victor again this year." Auria tells me with a smile on her face.

I don't get the chance to ask any more questions because we are interrupted by Brynn, who can't take her eyes off of the view outside.

"Ah, there it is! The Capitol."

Zircon and I both get up and look out the window. The giant buildings of the Capitol loom up before us on both sides of the train station. I've always admired the Capitol's grandeur and beauty on the television, but it's much more impressive to see it in reality. The train makes its way to the station, through the outskirts of the Capitol. Citizens have already gathered near the train station. When they see the train pass by, they clap and cheer. Zircon and I wave at them from behind the window. Slowly, the train comes to a halt. Brynn leads us towards the exit of the train. Zircon gets off the train first and I follow him. Behind me are Auria and Parcival, followed by Brynn. Once I'm outside I notice that it's not as warm here as it was back in District 1. I'm still wearing the same short summer dress, in which I feel underdressed and cold immediately. When I walk on and see the citizens up close, I notice how strange they all look. I remember seeing images of Capitol citizens on our television, and they don't look any different in reality. Some just have strange hair colors, like Brynn. Some of them have strange faces. But most of them wear the weirdest kinds of clothes. I see a woman who's wearing a yellow skirt so tight I wonder how she even manages to walk around in it, and on top of that she wears a loose, purple shirt with blue paillets on it and huge shoulder pads. Underneath it she wears tiger paw shoes with heels. I find myself wondering how people can dress like this.

Apparently the look on my face is obvious, because Brynn whispers in my ear: "It's just Capitol fashion, darling. Now put up your best smile and go for it."

I do as she says. I put up a smile and wave at the audience as we make our way to the car that will bring us to the training center. The car is not an ordinary car, like Madeline's. It's a long car with lots of room in the back for us to sit. I'm amazed by how big it is on the inside: the five of us are sitting there and there still is room left.

"So this is your limousine." Brynn tells us. "Enjoy the ride, because it won't be long. The training center is close by."

Brynn was right: the ride isn't long. Within ten minutes, the car stops in front of a large penthouse. As we get out of the car one by one, Zircon and I stare up to the enormous building in awe, but then we realize that Brynn, Auria and Parcival are already on their way to the entrance. We follow them quickly. After going through several doors and hallways, we end up in a large room. I see a stand with swords and daggers in the corner, but when I look around I see that there are much more weapons.

"So this is where your training starts tomorrow." Brynn tells us. She points at the many different tables and small training areas in the room. "There are a lot of different training stations."

"I'd advise you to take a look at all of them at least once." Parcival tells us.

I take another look around, and I see Zircon does the same. There's not only stations with different kinds of weapons, but there are also stations where there are rope structures to climb in that hang from the ceiling, and stations with different kinds of trees and plants.

I shiver. It's definitely colder in here. I'm hoping we're going upstairs soon, so that I can change into something more appropriate for this temperature. This summer dress was perfect for the tropic temperatures of District 1, but not for the chillier weather in the Capitol.

"I'm definitely going to try that tomorrow." Zircon suddenly says. I follow his gaze to see what he's talking about. There's an obstacle course in the middle of the room, which consist of multiple platforms at different heights.

"That looks-"

"Well, we're not supposed to stay here now." Brynn interrupts us. "Chop chop, let's keep moving." I gladly follow her.

We make our way to the other side of the room that leads into a small hallway, which brings us to an elevator. We get inside as Brynn pushes on the glass panel in the elevator. For a second I wonder what she's doing, but then I see that there's some kind of buttons on the glass panel.

"Each district has their own floor, with living quarters for the tributes, the mentors and the escort. Since we are from District 1, we get the first floor." Brynn tells us as the elevator starts moving upwards. After only a few seconds, the elevator stops again. Brynn gets out first, and we follow her. We walk across another hallway that ends with a door. Brynn opens the door and holds it open for us. On the other side of the door is a large living room. There's a dining table with eight chairs, lounge corner with a television and couches, and many more things. This room is about the size of our entire ground floor at home. I thought I had quite a luxurious life, but I've never been in a place like this before.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Brynn asks.

I nod. "It is."

Brynn walks towards a long wall at the end of the room that has four doors.

"These are your bedrooms. You each have a room of your own. I suggest you all take some to refresh and relax, and then I will see you in a couple of hours for dinner."

Auria walks up to the door on the right, opens it and walks into the room. Parcival takes the room next to her and Zircon takes the one next to him. So that leaves the room on the left for me. I open the door and walk into a room that's more than twice the size of my bedroom at home. The blue carpet feels soft under my feet. The curtains on the windows are the same shade of blue, decorated with golden figures. In the corner of the room is a large bed, covered with a golden bedspread. I run my fingers across the silky fabric of the bedspread, and then I notice the small bathroom on the other side of the room. There's a toilet there, and a shower that has no faucets but a glass pane with buttons on the wall instead. Next to the bathroom is a huge wooden wardrobe, filled with all kinds of clothes: jeans, shirts, dresses. I walk into the bathroom, take of my clothes and jump into the shower. I take a look at the glass panel, but there are so many buttons and options that I'm not sure which one to choose. Eventually I get the warm water running and soap spraying in my face. I wash myself and then I manage to turn the soap spray and the water off. I dry myself off with one of the super soft towels and then I find something to wear. Eventually I go for black leggings, combined with a pink dress and a grey vest.

On my bare feet I walk back into the living room, where Zircon is sitting on the couch in the lounge corner, staring at the television. I sit down on the other side of the couch and look at the television too. The screen shows us the town square of District 3, where the reaping has just taken place. On the left of the stage is a tall but lean boy, with dark eyes and dark hair. He doesn't look older than sixteen. Next to him is a girl that's about as tall as I am, with long blonde hair and glasses.

"I see you have a twin sister you haven't told us about?" Parcival jokes behind me. I look at him, then I look back at the screen.

"Yes, I mean the girl from 3. She could be your twin."

Zircon looks at me, then looks back at the screen.

"She does look like you. That's creepy." He comments.

I glance at the girl on the screen again. We both have long, blonde hair. We are both skinny and we both have the wide-eyed gaze. But that's where the resemblances end for me. Her lips form a thin line as she squints, probably because of the sun.

Zircon, Parcival and I spent the next two hours watching the reapings of all the districts. Halfway through the broadcasts, Auria joins us.

"So this is your competition. But you should also be on the look-out for allies." Auria tells us.

"Allies?" Zircon scoffs. "Everyone's going to kill one another anyway."

"Eventually, yes." Parcival replies. "But in the beginning of the games, you'll be less outnumbered by the other tributes if you have allies. Plus, you know what they say: Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer."

Zircon pouts his lips, giving this a thought.

"Do you two remember how I won my Games?" Auria asks us.

"You had allies, right? The two boys." I answer.

"Yes, the boys from 5 and 9. They had very high training score, so it seemed wise. I stayed with them until there were five of us left. Then I ran off. Eventually there were three of us left: The boy from 5, who was killed by the girl from 2. Then I strangled her, and I won."

After that conversation, I look at the other tributes more critically. The ones that I feel like I have to watch out for are both tributes from 6, the boy from 9 with his vicious expression, and both tributes from 10. The ones I'm not scared of are the girl from 7, who is the youngest tribute this year, the boy from 8 and both tributes from 12, who don't seem to really get what they are doing there.

Half an hour later we're eating our dinner in silence, until Brynn joins us and starts talking about tomorrow. In the meanwhile, we hear the elevator on the other side of the hallway zoom by.

"Another pair of tributes has arrived." Brynn notices. "Probably from District 2."

No one really responds to her: everyone is busy eating.

"So tomorrow, when all the tributes have arrived, you will meet your prep team. They're here to make sure you two look nothing less than fabulous for the tributes' parade tomorrow."

When we've finished dinner, I walk towards my room again.

"The next few days are going be very intense, so make sure you sleep well." Brynn advises us.

In my room I open the curtains, just to see that the sky has turned dark already, so I close them again. I suppress a yawn, and look at my bed. It's been a busy day. I put on one of the nightgowns from the wardrobe and crawl into the bed. This bed is so comfortable that I fall asleep within seconds.


End file.
